H2020 MARIE SKLODOWSKA CURIE ACTIONSINDIVIDUAL FELLOWSHIP CALL 2019

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THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY (NIC)

WHAT DO THE NIC OFFER YOU WITHIN MSCA IF 2019?

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• Prestigious career opportunities• Excellent working conditions: employment

contracts, full social security etc.• Very competitive salaries• Opportunities to work and train with the best

researchers in Europe and worldwide• Whole career training: complementary skills• Access to top level conferences, professional

associations & Marie Curie Alumni

Individual Fellowships

IFexperiencedresearchers(> 4 years)

Support for experienced researchers to undertake international and inter-sector mobility, incl. career restart and reintegration

• Individual trans-national post-doctoral fellowships for the best and most promising experienced researchers

• Two types depending on the mobility of the researcher

• Within or into Europe -European Fellowships

• Outside Europe - Global Fellowships

• MOBILITY: Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the country of the host organisation for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the call deadline

• SCIENTIFIC DOMAIN: Chemistry (CHE), Information Science and Engineering (ENG), Environment and Geosciences (ENV), Life Sciences (LIF)

TIMELINE

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Individual Fellowships

IFexperiencedresearchers(> 4 years)

Support for experienced researchers to undertake international and inter-sector mobility, incl. career restart and reintegration

Call Opens Closes

MSCA IF 2019 12 APR 2019 11 SEP 2019

APPLICATION NIC:Reach an agreement on the Supervisor and the Topic

WHO?Fellow

DEADLINE24 MAY 2019

2nd SEPTEMBER 2019Submission deadline

1st JUNE – 1ST SEPTEMBER 2019Proposal preparation by

researcher with the support of

Supervisor and Project

Management Office

31st MAY 2019Eligibility Assessment at NIC

Notification of selection

24th MAY 2019Closure NIC MSCA IF Call

Submit the application to

the National Institute of

Chemistry

PROPOSED RESEARCH TOPICS AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY

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Prof. dr. Roman JERALA Prof. dr. Albin PINTAR

Visible light assistedphotocatalysis for watertreatment

Designed bionanostructures(protein origami)

Cancer immunotherapy

Synthetic biology of mammaliancells – design of signalingpathways

Materials used as photocatalysts in theprocess of heterogeneous photocatalyticoxidation must be significantly improved inorder to make this process economicallyattractive. In this respect, novelnanostructured and nanoshapedphotocatalysts (including nanoplasmonicsolids) will be developed that will allowefficient harvesting of visible light

spectrum.

Direct biogas to liquid fuelconversionBiogas (i.e. a mixture of methane and carbondioxide) is produced by anaerobic darkfermentation of solid wastes andrenewables. Multifunctional heterogeneouscatalysts will be developed that will enableefficient and direct transformation of biogasto either dimethylether or methanol in asingle reactor unit.

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Prof. dr. Blaž LIKOZAR

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Prof. dr. Miran GABERŠČEK

Application of chemical reaction /reactor engineering/multi-scale process modelling to new emerging challenges• chemical (process) engineering,

reactor and unit operation design andconstruction, as well as multi-scaleprocess modelling.

• carbon dioxide conversion: reversewater–gas shift (RWGS), methanol,formaldehyde, dimethyl ether (DME),carboxylation, etc.

• natural gas conversion: non-oxidative/oxidative methaneconversion to ethane, ethylene andothers, dehydrogenations, etc.

• electro-catalysis with fuel celltechnologies: novel catalystfabrication, characterisation andapplication (ORR, HER, CO2RR, etc.).

• biomass valorisation to bio-basedcompounds: lignin, cellulose,hemicellulose, aromatics, hydroxyl-methyl furfural, furfural, etc.

• (bio)pharmaceutical processes:particle engineering development (e.g.crystallisation), metabolic network modelling, etc.

Synthesis and advancedelectrochemical characterisation oflow-cost and sustainableelectrocatalysts for FuelCells/Electrolysers

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PROPOSED RESEARCH TOPICS AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY

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Prof. dr. Ivan JERMAN Prof. dr. Gregor ANDERLUH / dr. Marjetka PODOBNIK

• Structural and functional studies ofproteins involved in pathogenesis ofintracellular bacteria (e.g. Listeriamonocytogenesis)

• Membrane interactions andmechanism of action of pore formingtoxins from all kingdoms of life

• Studies of interactions betweenproteins and membranes at thestructural and functional level

• Evolution of small tightly foldedbinding modules and ligand bindingsites

• Synthetic biology of nanopores• Structural and functional studies of

plant viruses

Concentrated Solar Nano Coatingsfor Electricity production

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Prof.dr. Gregor MALI

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Prof.dr. Nataša ZABUKOVEC LOGAR

Development and application ofsolid-state NMR methods for theinvestigations of formation, forstructure determination and forin-situ studies of theperformance of porous catalystsand adsorbents.

Expertise required by the applicant: basicprogramming skills (e.g. C, Matlab orsimilar; familiarity with Linux is anadvantage).

Development of nanoporousmaterials for heat storage/transformation applications, including design of new poroussolids and post-synthesismodification of sorbentsTailoring of hydrophilic properties ofinorganic and metal-organic sorptionmaterials.

Development of nanoporousmaterials for carbon capture andutilization (CCSU) technologiesProviding more compact configurations(composite materials, porous monoliths,etc.) to improve the energy and productioncosts in gas separation and conversion.Expertise required by the applicant:Laboratory synthesis skills,Understanding/use of characterisationmethods (XRD, TG/DSC, SEM, gas sorption).

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Prof. dr. Nataša NOVAK TUŠAR Prof. dr. Robert DOMINKO

Artificial SEI on metal lithium

Li-ion batteries are most promising portablestorage devices and their energy density canbe further improved by replacement ofnegative electrode by metallic lithium. Thelatter needs to be protected if we want toavoid formation of dendrites and constantpassivation. Protection layers can be basedon polymers or alloys.

Development of multimetalfunctionalized porous materialsfor catalytic air and waterpurification

Metals on porous supports, metals on mixed oxides photocatalyst TiO2/SiO2, double layered hydroxides on porous supports.

Expertise required by the applicant: Laboratory synthesis skills, Understanding/use of characterisation methods (XRD, TG/DSC, SEM, gas sorption).

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Prof. dr. Simona GOLIČ GRDADOLNIK

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Prof. dr. Franci MERZEL

The role of protein dynamics at the ligand-protein bindingprocess

The aim of these studies is a site specificcharacterization of protein dynamicprocesses in ligand-protein complexes ona wide range time scale at atomic levelusing spectroscopic methods andmolecular dynamics simulations. This isrequired for the proper understanding ofligand-protein binding mechanisms. Ingeneral, the anticipated results will inspirefuture research of the poorly explored roleof dynamics and molecular flexibility inbiological processes and can have directimpact on the development of noveltherapeutic agents.

Computational characterization ofstructural dynamics underlyingfunction in proteinsMolecular dynamics simulations and freeenergy calculations are powerful biophysicaltools offering spatial and temporalresolutions that can effectively complementexperimental methodologies in studyingmolecular basis of protein function:• How hydration water assists protein

function?• How does water pass through

membrane transporters (SGLT)?

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PROPOSED RESEARCH TOPICS AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHEMISTRY

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Prof. dr. Jože GRDADOLNIK Prof. dr. Samo HOČEVAR

Electrochemical Sensors• Development of (micro)electrodes and electrochemical

(gas)sensors.• Development of sensing materials and study of electrode

processes at nano-scale and in real-time.• Development of electrochemical methodologies and

application studies.

Elemental (Bio)Imaging and Chemical Characterization• Development of 2D/3D elemental (bio)imaging using laser

ablation hyphenated with elemental mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS).

• Development of methodologies for the analysis of trace elements and organic species in environmental, biological/biomedical and material research (ICP-OES, ICP-MS, LC-MS/MS).

Atmospheric Chemistry• Study of chemical processes in atmospheric aerosols• Physico-chemical characterization of size-segregated

atmospheric (nano)aerosols.• Development of novel methods for (outdoor & indoor)

nanoparticle characterization and study of their transformations.

Protein aggregation monitored byvibrational spectroscopyInfrared, micro Raman, VCD, NMR andadvanced theoretical methods will be usedto study the structural phase transitions ofpoly-L-lysine and polyglutamate induced bytemperature and/or by changing the pH.The stability of peptide structure andintermediates will be tested in the presenceof various types of cosolvents. Acquiredknowledge from model systems will beapplied in the study of amyloidalaggregation of insulin, which is related totype I diabetes mellitus.

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HOW TO APPLY?

WE WELCOME APPLICATIONS OF HIGHLY MOTIVATED EXPERIENCED RESEARCHERS (WITH A DOCTORAL DEGREE OR AT LEAST FOURYEARS OF FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT RESEARCH EXPERIENCE) OF ANY NATIONALITY.

THE APPLICANTS WILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH MSCA IF MOBILITY RULE, MEANING THAT S/HE MUST NOT HAVE RESIDED OR CARRIEDOUT HIS/ HER MAIN ACTIVITY (WORK, STUDIES, ETC.) IN SLOVENIA FOR THAN 12 MONTHS IN THE 3 YEARS IMMEDIATELY BEFORESEPTEMBER 2019.

CLOSING DATE: 24TH MAY 2019

Please send your application (as a single pdf document) including:

The CV reflecting your achievements, in particular any publications, patents, researchmonographs and chapters, invited presentations etc. The CV should not be longer than five (5)pages.

Research impact with the number of citations.

Submit the application to the email: project.office@ki.si with the subject: MSCA-IF2019-Application.

Fluent knowledge of English language is necessary. Knowledge of Slovenian is not required.

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National Institute of Chemistry

Hajdrihova 191001 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Webpage: www.ki.sie-mail: project.office@ki.siPhone: 00386 (1) 476 0498

Fax: 00386 (1) 476 03 00

YOUR SUPPORT